Whole Wheat Buttermilk Sandwich Buns

By KSmitherman

Ingredients

• Yield:
• Fluffy homemade whole wheat buns with sesame seeds on top (can be made with white flour also)
• 12 buns
• Ingredients:
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 cup buttermilk, warmed*
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon oil or butter
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 cup dough conditioner**, optional
• 3 3/4 to 4 1/4 cups whole wheat bread flour
• 1 tablespoon dry yeast
• Egg wash ingredients:
• 1 egg white
• 1 teaspoon water
• Sesame seeds, for sprinkling

Details

Adapted from tammysrecipes.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Combine water, buttermilk, honey, salt, egg, and oil in large mixing bowl. Stir to mix.
2. Add the dough conditioner, 3 cups of the flour and the tablespoon of yeast to bowl and mix. Continue mixing and add more flour as needed, until a thick dough starts to form. Knead with clean hands, adding more flour as needed until dough is smooth (should take about 4 1/4 cups of whole wheat flour).
3. Place dough in a large bowl with a little oil in the bottom; turn dough to grease all sides. Cover the dough with a clean towel and let rest for 20 minutes, OR, let rise in a warm place until doubled and then gently deflate.
***See additional notes for making this even easier using a stand mixer or bread machine!
4. Grease a 10x15-inch baking sheet. On a lightly-floured surface, divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Form each piece into a flat 3-inch circle/disc. Place evenly on baking sheet. Lightly grease tops. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place until nearly doubled.
5. Perheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly beat the egg white with 1 teaspoon of water. Gently brush tops of buns with the beaten egg white mixture and sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until done. Check after 12-14 minutes; if tops are getting too browned, lay a sheet of foil lightly on top to prevent excess browning.
7. Remove buns from baking sheet and allow to cool on a wire rack, covered with a clean cloth. You can slice the buns after they've cooled slightly, or, allow to cool completely before slicing. Serve warm or cold with your favorite sandwich fillings! :)